Russell Brand Is Getting A Late Night Show

Hot off the news that excitable British buccaneer Russell Brand would be getting his own animated show on FOX comes this: He will also be getting his own late-night show at FX. Just what the wealthy man married to a busty pop star ten years his junior needs: MORE OF EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME $$$$$$$. A Christmas miracle, indeed.

The untitled six-episode, half-hour series will premiere in the spring. The concept is still being tweaked but the taped show will feature Brand on stage in front of live audience, making commentary on a variety of topics from current events, politics and pop culture and interacting with audience members. “We’re very excited to add Russell Brand’s bracingly funny, original, and honest voice to the FX comedy line-up,” said FX’s EVP original programming Nick Grad. “We look forward to supporting Russell and his partner Troy Miller’s ambition to strip down the hosted comedy format to its most fundamental elements and to create something daring and unfiltered for the FX audience.” [Deadline]

It’s got to be the accent, right? I mean, it’s not that Russell Brand is entirely unfunny or anything, but… two shows? Really? I swear to God, it is AMAZING what you can get away with in America if you have a British accent. Russell Brand bounces around stage saying creepy sexual stuff to our women, Simon Cowell insults our singers and bickers with our loopy former Laker Girls (a treasured American resource), and we just keep throwing money at them. Hugh Grant could burn my damn house down, and, as long as he did that thing where he goes “Right right. I terribly sorry” while looking at his shoes and running his fingers through his hair, I’d probably forgive him before all the smoke cleared.

Before there was Paltrow, there was Madonna, and to be honest, I’d be a little pissed too.
I don’t so much have a problem with Brand as I do with Aldous Snow. Brand can be incredibly witty and charming, as all Englishmen can, but I just can’t buy into this bad boy image he seems to be towing along here in America.

Essentially he’s moving his radio program from England to American television. It could be great or it could be shit, and I’m pessimistic.

I’m not gonna lie, reading some of his columns surprised the shit out of me because he struck me as a complete idiot. He actually writes very well and the writing makes it obvious that he’s a much smarter guy than you’d think. But I don’t know how that helps late audiences, since he’ll probably have his idiotic schtick going.